Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
Week 12: Book III, Chapter 1 — The Three Parts of Morality
Read Book III, Chapter 1 of Mere Christianity ('The Three Parts of Morality').
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Lewis begins Book III — his most practically focused section — by correcting a dangerously narrow view of what morality is actually about.
Discussion Questions
6 questions1.Lewis uses the fleet-of-ships analogy to describe the three departments of morality: relations between ships, the internal workings of each ship, and the purpose of the whole fleet. What are the three corresponding dimensions of human morality?
2.He argues that modern people tend to think of morality almost exclusively as relations between individuals — fairness, kindness, honesty. The other two departments (internal character and ultimate purpose) are neglected. Do you recognize this narrowing in your own culture or community? In yourself?
a.What happens to a society that obsesses over social justice while neglecting personal virtue?
b.What happens to a person who obsesses over private virtue while neglecting their duty to others?
3.Lewis says the question of ultimate purpose — what the fleet of ships is *for* — is the question that every ethical system must answer, even if it tries to avoid it. What answer does Christianity give, and how does it differ from the most common secular answers?
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